Moo Deng, the People’s Princess
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at FSU chapter.
One of my closest friends is obsessed with hippos, specifically Fiona from the Cincinnati Zoo. Fiona went viral in 2017 after she was born six weeks premature. Although I have always been an animal lover, I never thought about hippos that much beyond the Madagascar film series. However, because of my friend, I began learning more about them.
What’s not to love? They’re round and large, have cute ears, and can overall be described as very friend-shaped. Seven years after Fiona gained fame, I have found my own hippo to be obsessed with.
Moo Deng is a pygmy hippo from the Khao Kheow Open Zoo located in the Chonburi province of Thailand. Born in July of this year, her name, which can be translated to “bouncy pork,” was voted on by a Facebook poll. Her name matches those of her siblings: Moo Wan (“sweet pork”) and Moo Tun (“stewed pork”). She went viral because of the videos and pictures her zookeepers were posting online.
relatable and iconic
View this post on Instagram A post shared by สวนสัตว์เปิดเขาเขียว (@khaokheow.zoo)
Despite having captured the internet’s attention by being adorably chubby and small, Moo Deng has gained an audience for her larger-than-life personality. Pictures of Moo Deng often feature her in motion. These blurry photos add to the chaos of her running around her enclosure, eating, or even biting her zookeepers. In many of the pictures, she usually has her mouth open, which many have interpreted as her speaking her mind or screaming.
People have found her behavior very entertaining and relatable. I, as well as so many others, love that she is unapologetically herself. Memes have popped up on many social media accounts with captions like “me when I…” and other creative interpretations of the content. Personally, my favorite type of Moo Deng meme is when a corporation posts an edit with Moo Deng using their product or “visiting” their location.
View this post on Instagram A post shared by Florida State Libraries (@fsulibraries)
In addition to her unique brand of hippo mayhem, she can sometimes be calm and smiling. This version of Moo Deng has inspired a new beauty trend where influencers design a look inspired by her dewy skin and pink cheeks. Just like all of us, there are many facets to her personality. I believe that there is a Moo Deng mood for every occasion.
Recently, my TikTok has also flooded with Moo Deng-related content. If you still aren’t convinced, I bet some of these Moo Deng edits could change your mind.
The Allure of Cute Animals
@mynet017 IT GIRL (ignore the bad quality i dont have good internet rn :() #moodeng #babyhippo #pygmyhippo #moodengedit #edit #viral #fypシ゚ #xyzcba #hippo #animallover #diva ♬ original sound – mynet017 – mynet017
As Moo Deng’s content became more frequent last month, I stopped and asked myself why I found myself so drawn to her and so many other cute animals on social media and in real life. I did some research and found an excellent article from the University of Oxford. It explains how animals like Moo Deng trigger parts of the brain to feel emotions of pleasure, empathy, and compassion.
As busy college students, it’s nice to take a mental break. Between classes or during a busy study session, we open our phones, check our social media, and figure out what’s going on in the world around us. I love sending cute animal content to my friends. I know it can make their day and provide a good distraction from everything else going on in their lives.
The Dangers of Internet Fame
When zoo animals go viral because of these interactions, it creates a risk. The Khao Kheow Open Zoo has changed its policies as a result of Moo Deng’s fame. This is a direct result of the thousands of people flocking to see the famous pygmy hippo in person. Some people have gone as far as throwing things at her to make her move and behave like she does in her viral videos.
View this post on Instagram A post shared by Cincinnati Zoo (@cincinnatizoo)
Others have criticized the zoo for having her in the first place, arguing that she should be in the wild instead of in captivity. Khao Kheow Open Zoo has addressed these claims, saying Moo Deng is part of a captive breeding conservation program. Essentially, this means that a zoo is hoping to preserve the population of an endangered species through a controlled environment. Despite these issues, I think Moo Deng’s fame is an excellent way to bring awareness to the conversation of species conservation and the shrinking of animal habitats around the world.
I’m not sure if I’ll be flying to Thailand anytime soon to visit Moo Deng, but I’m excited to see her grow over the next few years. For now, I might start looking into going to Cincinnati to see Fiona, the original hippo icon. If hippos had thumbs, Fiona and Moo Deng would definitely be online friends; you can’t convince me otherwise.
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<p>The post Moo Deng, the People’s Princess first appeared on Her Campus.</p>
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